Combined pyrotechnic signal and gun-wad



(No Model.)

' G.IJ. OARNEY.

Combined Pyrotechnic Signal and Gun Wad. No. 240,088.

Patented April 12,1881

INVENTOR WITNESSES NFETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

lJNrTEn STATES GEORGE J. OABNEY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED PYROTECHNIC SIGNAL AND GUN-WAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,088, dated April 12, 1881.

Application filed January 31, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. OARNEY, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Waddings, which improvement is duly set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming part thereof.

Itis generally known that communication at night between parties more or less-wide] separated, and whose respective stations relative to each other cannot be definitely fixed, is most easily made by means of artificial light variously displayed. It is believed that the following invention accomplishes all that has hitherto been attained in this direction, and at the same time furnishes a compact, portable, and inexpensive means whereby signaling by the use of colored fires may be made effectual, and the same may be used in breech-load ing or muzzle-loading fire-arms, or it may be ignited on a wire held in the hand without injury to the person.

My invention, which may be named a py rotechnic gun-wad, consists ot'a more or less fiat disk gun-wad of textile or other suitable material, inserted in which isaportion orportions of so called red or other colored fire or fires placed more or less at one side of the Wad, by which the wad will be caused to fly edgewise and not fiatwise. To ignite this red-fire the wad is covered on one or both fiat faces with a suitably-perforated disk, of paper or other suit-able material, through the perforations of which the flame of the gunpowder or other explosive or other combustible material used for the purpose may pass and come in contact with a fuse of suitable construction partially or wholly covering, surrounding, or entering the mass of red-fire, which, beingignited, will, in its turn, ignite the red-fire, and by these covers the red-fire is shielded from the flame which ignites the fuse. This fuse may be of any suitable length or shape, or of such suitable length or shape that the ignition of the redfire may be caused to take place at any point in theascent or descent of the wadin other words, may be made a time-fuse.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 represents the outer covering or disk of the wad in plan and section, with the holes in the same (No model.)

to. allow the flame to come in contact with the fuse. Fig. 2 represents the fuse-paper in plan and-section. Fig. 3 represents the completed wadin vertical section with a single inserted mass of red or other colored fire. Fig. etrepresents in plan and vertical section a wad with four inserted pieces of red or other colored fires wrapped in fuse-paper. Fig. 5 represents in vertical and horizontal section a wad with a singleinserted piece of red or other colored fire wrapped in fuse-paper.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents the main wad. a represents colored fire. b and 0 represent fuse-paper. (1 represents the perforated outer disks of the wad. h represents perforations in outer disks.

I define a method of making these pyrotechnic gun-wads asfollows, and I do not confine myself to this method of making these wads: Take an ordinary fiat-disk gun-wad of textile or other suitable material, and by means of a circular punch remove a portion of the material of which the wad is composed in such a manner that the aperture left in the wad shall not be concentric with the wad in its external form, but be at one side. Then aportiou of red-fire is placed in the hole in the punched gun-wad, a piece of slow or quick match, in sheet or other suitable form, is then placed in contactwith the red fire. The outer perforated disks are then placed so that the perforations shall lie over the fuse and not over the redfire. Said outer disks are then secured in place by glue or other suitable means, and the wad is ready for use.

I claim as a new article of manufacture, and as my invention-- 1. A combined pyrotechnic signal and gunwad consisting of an ordinary wad with pyrotechnic composition placed in openings in or through said wad, substantially as described.

2. A combinedgunwad and pyrotechnic signal consisting of a wad with pyrotechnic composition placed in openings therein, afuse over the wad, and composition and a perforated disk placed over said fuse, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE J. OARNEY. Witnesses:

ALBERT S. GUILD,

AUSTIN K. OHADWI K. 

